“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” |
—2 Peter 1:5-8 |
Most people realize that in order to become successful when pursuing any particular occupation, an individual must develop a number of critically important qualities. These qualities channel the efforts of the individual in the proper direction.
As ambassadors of the Great King Jesus, we followers of Christ must also apprehend certain key qualities that will allow us to develop our full potential as servants of God in this needy world. The Apostle Peter outlined those qualities in 2 Peter 1:5-8:
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Obviously, we cannot obtain these qualities by ourselves. We must rely on the assistance of the Holy Spirit. As we open our minds and hearts and wills to the leading of the Spirit, He will guide us into a fullness of each of these critically important qualities.
At the start of this new day, let’s agree to partner with the Holy Spirit that we might obtain the critically important qualities that will make us the best possible ambassadors for Christ that we can possibly be. Surely that will be a most excellent assignment for today.